Matt's Story

The Year of Adventure was certainly celebrated at Cadw sites when a giant dragon broke the banks of Caerphilly Castle on St David’s Day, before flying to sites across Wales over the summer. Here, we catch up with Matt Wild of Wild Creations, the company that built the mythical monster…

What is your favourite Cadw site? Caerphilly Castle.

What’s the best bit about it? I love the vastness of this medieval castle which has stood the test of time and is such an iconic landmark for Wales.

Were you shocked by the response that the dragon received?

It is always nice that our creations are appreciated but the media and public storm went beyond anyone’s expectations. The public support for the dragon and the level of social media it generated was phenomenal.

Were there any challenges faced when creating and touring the legendary dragon? The biggest challenge ironically was actually fitting the dragon into the castles that were built as fortifications. Trying to fit a dragon into a tight space built to protect against attack proved quite difficult.

How important do you think our historical monuments are to Wales as a whole? These monuments are very important, not only from a historical point of view but also from an economic one. The rich Welsh history teaches us all about different times and societies we have come from that otherwise we would know nothing about. It’s our history that makes Wales so unique and it’s the reason why so many people visit every year, giving a major boost to our economy.